Automatic butter pat former and dispenser



1964 Y E. FRbMWILLER AUTOMATIC BUTTER PAT FORMER AND DISPENSER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 25; 1962 INVENTOR EDWARD FROMWILLER ATTORNEYS Jan. 28, 1964 E. FROMWILLER AUTOMATIC BUTTER PAT FORMER AND DISPENSER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1962 ATTOR NE Y5 I I ,J

EDWARD FROMWILLER BY 9 D9 an/g4- 5/ Jan. 28, 1964 E. FROMWILLER v3,119,181

AUTOMATIC BUTTER PAT FORMER AND DISPENSER Filed Nov. 23, 1962 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. EDWARD FRQMWILLER ATTORNE Y5 Jan. 28, 1964 E. FROMWILLER AUTOMATIC BUTTER PAT FORMER AND DISPENSER Filed Nov. 25, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR EDWARD FROMWlLLER BY 90 9 al-ug ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,119,181 AUTGMATHC BUTTER PAT FORMER AND DESPENSER Edward Frornwiller, 52 North St., Ridgefield, Conn. Filed Nov. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 239,601 9 Claims. (Cl. 31-6) The present invention relates to a dispenser for cakes or blocks of material and particularly to butter cakes or pats.

More particularly still the invention relates to a butter pat dispensing machine generally similar to that of my Patent No. 2,718,701 but different therefrom in that means are provided to protect the butter on each of the paper trays by a wax paper which overlies the butter and prevents the butter from becoming contaminated between the time when it is dispensed from the machine and the time when actually used.

The machine of my above-identified patent is provided with a gate member on which the butter pat rests subsequent to the slicing of a block of butter and dispensing of that butter on a formed paper tray. In the mechanism of the present invention the gate member is not utilized but instead a discharge chute is provided which permits the tray forming material and wax paper to be simultaneously cut and simultaneously formed into a tray, the wax paper, however, because of its properties, unfolding as the formed butter pats move to the discharge chute while the heavy paper material of the butter trays remains in this folded condition having upstanding sides. By this means the wax paper extends over the edges of the tray and completely protects the butter thereon from contamination.

It is an object of the invention to provide a butter pat dispensing machine which dispenses butter pats one at a time in response to switch actuation and which provides each butter pat with a wax paper cover to prevent contamination of the butter.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a dispensing machine wherein the paper from which the butter trays are formed and the paper from which the Wax paper covers are formed are supplied in a roll with the wax paper interleaved with the tray paper and in which the tray paper and wax paper are simultaneously cut and formed.

It is another object of the invention to provide means whereby the wax paper covering after being formed by the dies is permitted to regain its original flat form thereby assuring that the butter will be completely protected.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the annexed drawings, in which,

FTGURE 1 is a longitudinal, vertical, cross-sectional view of a butter pat forming and dispensing machine in accordance with my invention;

FiGURE 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the machine of FIGURE 1, the view being taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded isometric view of the paper advancing and paper cutting and shaping mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical cross-section of the machine of FIGURE 1 the view being taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a detailed perspective view of the drive mechanism;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the discharge chute; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing a butter pat with a wax paper covering thereover.

Before proceeding with the detailed description of the mechanism it should be pointed out that many of the mechanisms of my prior patent have been omitted 3,119,181 Patented Jan. 28, 1964 since they operate in the same manner as shown therein. Thus no showing of the rotary rack arrangement by which a plurality of butter blocks such as quarter pound bars may be successively utilized and maintained in a refrigerated condition until utilized, has been made. The portions shown are therefore only those which have been modified or which are necessary in order to describe the operation of the machine in forming butter pats and wax paper cover sheets therefor.

The machine comprises a number of mechanisms, the primary ones of which are a butter hopper, butter release and feeding mechanism, butter cutting mechanism and a paper supply, paper feeder, paper cutter, tray former, driving mechanism and switch means for the driving mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG- URES l and 4, there is provided a pair of frame members 10 on which a butter hopper 11 is supported. The butter hopper 11 is, as is shown particularly in FIGURE 2, square in cross-section and intended to hold the usual quarter pound bar of butter. The butter hopper 11 is formed with an integral flange 12 having a circular periphery. A collar 13 having an inwardly extending flange 14 lies under a shoulder on the periphery of member 12 and is held in position by means of a ring 15 fixed to the flange 12 by any suitable means such as the screw 16. Collar 13 is provided with an interior thread 17 which mates with the exterior thread of a member 18 which comprises the upstanding cylindrical portion 2i! and the integral horizontal plate 21. By means of this collar arrangement the butter hopper 11 is adjustable vertically with respect to the frame members 16 and with respect to the paper feeding, cutting and tray forming mechanism as w'Lll be later described.

The assembly of paper hopper and cooperating parts is also removable as a unit from the machine. The plate 21 rests upon the studs 22 projecting from frame members 19, the plate being provided with apertures through which the studs 22 project. The plate is locked in place by means of the slides 24 provided with keyhole slots 25 which enter grooves 23 in studs 22, see FIGURE 2, and thus fix the hopper assembly with respect to the remainder of the machine.

Fixed to the sides of the butter hopper 11 are guides 26 which mount an actuating carriage 27 for reciprocatory movement in a horizontal plane. The sliding carriage is, as shown particularly in FIGURE 2, generally rectangular in shape and encompasses the butter hopper 11. Carriage 2'7 has fixed thereto at its left hand end a butter spear 23. There is also pivotally mounted on the carriage 27 an arm 30 which carries a second butter spear 31. Arm St is formed in L-shape and is pivotally mounted in the two supports 32 fixed to the carriage 27 at its right hand end. Arm 3t extends generally horizontally and lies above a cam surface 33 formed on the carriage 27.

A pivot arm 34 terminates at its lower end in a cam surface 35 which also cooperates with the cam surface 33. Ann 34 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 36 fixed to the side of the hopper 11. The bracket 36 is provided With an offset 37 so that the arm 39, after upward and left hand movement as will be described, can move behind the bracket 30 and be free to move downwardly under the urge of the coil spring 38 mounted about the L-shaped extension of arm 30.

It will be seen from the above description, particularly when considered in connection with FIGURE 4, that as the carriage 27 moves to the left from the position shown, the arm 36 rests on the lower end of the pivoted arm 34. It will be further seen that the two cam surfaces 33 and 35 cooperate to move the arm 34 upwardly to the dotted line position as the carriage moves inwardly carrying with it the arm 36. As the carriage 27 continues its movement to the left the spear 31 passes through the slot 49 in the side wall of the hopper 11 and enters a block of butter placed in the hopper. At the same time the butter spear 28 is being withdrawn from the butter through an aperture in the opposite side wall of the hopper 11.

When the carriage 27 has moved to its limit toward the left the arm 35 will have travelled up the upper surface of the arm 34, over the portion of bracket 36 beyond the otfset 37 and thus into the space between the offset portion of bracket 36 and the side Wall of hopper 11. At this time, of course, the spring 38 will cause arm 30 to move downwardly carrying the spear 31 downwardly and feeding the butter block downwardly a distance corresponding to the movement of the arm.

In my prior patent the amount of butter fed was determined by the height of the lower end of the hopper 11 above the paper from which a tray was to be formed which paper was supported by a gate member. In the present instance the gate member has been removed in order to provide a difi'erent mode of discharge and therefore a different means of regulating the butter feeding stroke of the spear 31 is provided.

An L-shaped member 41, FIGURE 4, is fixed by any suitable means to the plate 21, the lower arm of this L extending across the lower edge of the slot 40 in the side wall of the butter hopper 11.

Since the member 4-1 does not move when the vertical position of the hopper is adjusted by means of the collar 13, it will be clear that the feeding distance will be increased when the hopper is moved upwardly and decreased when it is moved downwardly and thus the thickness of a slice cut from the butter block can be adjusted.

Extending downwardly from the carriage 27 at opposite sides thereof are two studs 42 between which a wire 43 is stretched. This wire 43 forms the cutting member and it will be seen that as the carriage reciprocates the wire, in moving from its extreme left hand position as seen in FIGURE 1 to its right hand position, will pass across immediately beneath the lower edge of the hopper 11 and will slice the butter block to a thickness determined by the feeding stroke of the spear 31 as mentioned above. It should be noted that the position of the parts as shown in FIGURE 1 is that when the carriage is halfway through its cycle and thus the butter is first fed, then sliced, then held in position by the spear 28 until the carriage has again moved to the left at which time the feeding action occurs and the parts are in position for a subsequent cycle.

It should also be noted that the machine is placed in operation by inserting a butter block into the hopper at which time it will rest upon the spear 31 which will then be in its lowermost position. It will then be necessary to run the machine through a sufiicient number of idle cycles to cause the butter block to project beyond the lower end of the hopper. Once this has been done, however, no further operation of this character is necessary since the rotary drum arrangement shown in my prior patent serves to keep the hopper full at all times and so long as the drum compartments are kept filled the device can be operated without the necessity of performing this conditioning operation.

Carriage or slide 27 is driven in its reciprocatory movement by means of a stud 44 extending downwardly from the right hand end of the slide and into a cam slot 45 formed in a lever 46 pivoted at 47 to a plate 48 extending horizontally and suported by the frames 16. Lever 46 has a longitudinal slot 50 with an angular termination 51 therein in which a stud 52 extending upwardly from a reciprocatory paper feed carriage, later to be described, moves. Thus as the stud reciprocates toward the end of its travel to the left it causes lever 46 to rock above pivot 47 thereby causing the carriage 27 to move to the left. When the stud 52 returns during the first portion of its movement it restores the slide 27 to the FIGURE 2 position, the remaining movement of the stud 52 and paper feed carriage on which it is supported being idle so far as the carriage or slide 27 is concerned.

The mechanism thus far described as Well as the paper feeding and tray forming mechanisms are driven by a main driving mechanism including a single revolution clutch. This main driving mechanism is shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 5. A motor 53 is mounted on the base plate 54, see also FIGURE 1, and is provided with a gear reduction unit 55 which drives a shaft 56 on which a toothed wheel 57 is fixed. A crank 58, journalled on the shaft 56, has a bracket 60 secured thereto. Bracket 60 supports a sliding rod 61 and a pivoted yoke 62 having a crank arm 63 attached thereto. The coil spring 64, mounted on the rod 61, normally forces that rod toward the toothed wheel 57 and into one of the teeth of that wheel, the rod being held in the outer position by the yoke 62 under certain circumstances as described later. Connecting rod 65 links the crank arm 58 with one arm of a generally U-shaped driving lever 66 which driving lever is mounted by a bracket 67 to a plate 68 supported from the base 54.

A starter push button 70 is attached to a rod 71 which is normally spring pressed outwardly by means of a spring 72 extending between a bracket 73 and a collar 74 fixed to the rod 71. At the end remote from the starter button 70 rod 71 carries an angle member 75 having a right angle projection 76 providing a stop for the crank 63. Mounted on the angle member 75 is a limit switch 77 which includes a switch lever 78 having a roller 30 at its end. Switch 77 is connected in the motor circuit and causes the motor to run when the roller 85 advances to close the switch 77 and opens the circuit to the motor causing it to stop when roller 86 is retracted by the shoulder portion 81 of crank 58. The spring 72 moves the rod 71 to the right as seen in FIGURE 5 after the button 7 0 is released thereby returning the button to its normal position away form the front panel of the machine and to the position shown in FIGURE 5.

When the starter button 70 is pressed angle member 75 moves longitudinally causing the switch roller to move off the surface of crank 52 thereby causing the motor 53 to operate. At the same time crank 63 is released due to movement of the angle piece 76 thus permitting the yoke 62 to rock thereby causing rod 61 to move into a tooth space of wheel 57. The crank arm 53 is thus driven by the toothed wheel 57 and the connecting rod 65 also driven through the crank arm 58, the connecting rod serving in turn to drive the U-shaped drive member 66. As soon as the button 70 is released spring 72 moves rod 71, angle member 75 and the associated parts forwardly, that is, generally to the right in FIGURE 5, into the original location. As a result, when the wheel 57 has completed a rotation in a clockwise direction, the roller 80 of limit switch 77 is engaged by the shoulder of crank 58 and forced into the off position thereby stopping the motor. Also crank 57 reengages the stop 76 at the top of angle member 75 and the yoke 62 is thereby caused to pivot causing the rod 61 to disengage from the tooth of wheel 57. It will be seen that the arrangement just described causes each operation of the start button 70 to produce a single rotation of the crank arm 58 and a single full reciprocation of the drive member 66.

As has been indicated, the drive member 66 is effective to cause movement of a paper feeding carriage mechanism as well as movement of the tray forming dies and, in the manner above described, of the butter slicing carriage or slide 27.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 2 forming and 4, a roll of tray paper interspersed with wax paper and designated S2 is journalled in a pair of open bearing members 83 suitably supported from the base 54. The tray forming paper passes beneath the plate 68- and is guided by means of a curved surface 84 formed in that plate to position between the paper feeding elements to later be described. It is to be noted that as the tray forming paper is fed to the feeding elements the tray paper designated 85 is above the wax paper 86.

As is seen particularly in FIGURE 4, the forward end of the paper is guided between the channels 87' and $8 and into position beneath the butter hopper 11 and the forming dies shortly to be described.

The feeding mechanism for the paper comprises reciprocatory cross members 99 and 91, see FIGURES 1 and 3, the members 90 and 91 being fixed at their ends to the guide channels 92 which channels are mounted within and guided by the oppositely facing channel frame members 14?. Fixed to the lower cross member )tiis an extension 94 having a downwardly facing slot 95 into which the horizontal terminating end of U-shaped drive member 56 extends. Thus as the drive member 66 reciprocates it causes the cross members 90 and 91 to likewise reciprocate in unison therewith Pivotally mounted on the extension 94 is a paper clamp 96 which has a serrated upper edge and which cooperates with a similarly serrated member 97 mounted on cross member 91 to clamp the wax paper $6 and tray paper 85 and feed them forwardly through the guide chan nels 87 and 88. In the position shown in FIGURE 1 the paper is clamped between members 96 and 97 due to the urge of a spring 98 extending between the lower surface of clamp member 96 and a horizontm projection formed on member 94.

It will be seen from the above description that as the motor is operated and drive member 65 rocked about its pivot in bracket 67, the cross members 91) and 91 reciprocate between the position shown in full and dotted lines in FIGURE 1. As the cross members move to the left paper is fed forwardly due to the clamping action. However, when the cross members reach their limit of motion toward the left a c amming arm 1%, see FIGURES l and 3, strikes a projection or bracket 101 and is urged between the cross bar 91} and a left hand extension on the clamp member 96. As a result the clamp member 96 rocks in a counterclockwise direction and releases the paper so that during the return stroke the paper is not clamped, but is retained in its position, this retention being assured by the provision of a friction finger 102, FIGURES l and 2. Finger 102 is mounted upon a rod 1&3 extending across the paper and is spring urged in a counterclockwise direction by means of a torsion spring 164 mounted about the rod 103 with one of its ends fixed to the rod and the other overlying the finger 1112,.

As the paper feeding elements approach their right hand position as seen in FIGURE 1, the arm Ititl strikes the stop 1125, see FIGURE 3, thus forcing the m 1% from between the cross member 91 and the clamp 96. C-amming arm 1% is pivotally mounted on the cross me1nber 90 as indicated at 106. It should be observed at this time that FIGURE 3 is an isometric view and that the paper feeding mechanisms occupy a position such that their limits of movements are those indicated by the letters X and Y in FIGURE 3.

The previously described stud 52 which extends through a slot in plate 48 and into the cam slot 511 of lever 46 is fixed to the upper cross member 91 of the paper feeding mechanism and thus, as already described, serves to drive the butter feeding and slicing carriage or slide 27.

As has been indicated, the tray forming paper strip 85 and wax paper strip 36 are fed by the mechanism through a predetermined distance, this distance being determined by the paper length desirable in order to form a tray of proper size. In the present instance, the tray is formed from a square of paper and therefore the feeding movement is equal to the width of the paper strips.

In order to sever a sufficient length of the paper strips to form the tray and the cover for the butter on a previously made tray, knives 108 and 110 are provided, knife 1% being fixed and knife 110 being vertically reciprocab le. The vertical movement of knife 110 is caused by levers 111 which levers are pivotally mounted on the channels 10 and are engaged by the lugs .112 on channels 92 as the paper feeding mechanism moves to the left as seen in FIGURE 3. As levers 111 thus move in a counterclockwise direction they elevate the L-shaped slides 113 between which the knife 110 extends.

It will of course be obvious that the channels 10 are provided with slots to permit this connection of the slides 113 to the knife 110. Thus as the paper feeding members including the channel guides 92 move from their extreme right hand position shown in dotted lines in FIG- URE 1 toward the extreme left hand position the lugs 112 cause the knife 110* to be elevated and the tray forming and wax paper strips to have portions severed from their ends. Also, as has been described, the carriage or slide 27 moves toward the right as shown in FIGURE 1 causing a slice of butter to be deposited on the upper surface of the severed portion of the tray forming paper.

As the paper feeding elements continue in their movement toward the right as seen in FIGURE 1, or toward position X as seen in FIGURE 3, lugs 114 formed on the upper edges of channels 92 engage the ends of levers 115 which levers are pivotally mounted at 116 on the vertical faces of the channels 10*. The horizontal arms of the levers 115 engage pins 117 which extend outwardly from guiding and supporting members 118 for male die 1213. The pins 117 are engaged on their lower sides by springs 121 which thus normally hold the male die elevated so that the paper strips may lie between the lower edge of the male die and the upper edge of the female die 122., see FIGURE 1.

As a result of engagement of the lugs 114 with the levers as just above mentioned, the male die is moved downwardly thus forming the severed portions of the tray paper 85 and the wax paper 86 into a tray which has a slice or slab of butter thereon.

During the return movement of the paper feeding mechanism the ears 112 and 114 pass idly over the corresponding levers 111 and 115 without causing any movement of the knife 110 or of the male die 120 which is held in its upper position by the spring 121 as previously mentioned.

The dies 12d and 122 are formed in a generally similar manner to the corresponding dies of my above identified patent. They form trays with corner folds as indicated at 123 in FIGURE 7. At the same time that these trays are formed, as mentioned above, wax paper trays are also formed. However, due to the character of the wax paper the folds are not retained therein and consequently the wax paper returns to substantially a flat sheet as indicated at 124 in FIGURE 7. The wax paper in tray formation, together with the paper tray with butter thereon, is moved downwardly by the action of the male die and into a discharge chute 125. As a succeeding paper pat is deposited on paper and the tray paper and wax paper together form into tray formation by the cooperation of the male and female dies, the second wax paper tray is moved downwardly until it contacts the butter on the previously formed tray, the trays being held in the discharge chute 125 by frictional engagement of the edges of the relatively heavy tray paper with the diverging walls of the discharge chute.

As a result the wax paper in a tray formation adheres to the buter on a previously formed tray. As the succession of trays moves through the discharge chute the wax paper returns to its substantially flat form. The corner portions 126 of the chute 125- continue to engage the folds 123 'of the butter trays until finally the lowermost tray is forced out of the discharge chute .125 at which times the wax paper portion 124 will have restored to a substantially fiat formation and will cover U the butter pat and overlie the edges of the formed paper tray.

The use of the discharge chute 125, as just above described, makes possible the depositing of the wax paper severed from the strip during one cycle upon the butter pat formed during the preceding cycle which is not possible with the mechanism of my prior Patent No. 2,718,- 701 because in that patent the entire weight of the butter block is sustained by the severed portion of paper which is supported by agate mechanism, the gate being opened once during each machine cycle. By means of the present arrangement of the discharge chute this gate is eliminated and the depositing of the wax paper is made possible due to the use of the discharge chute and the formation thereof to maintain a number of butter pats in the chute during a period of time suflicient for the wax paper which has been folded by the male and female dies to restore to its fiat form and to cover the butter on the preceding tray. Thus the modification of the mech anisms of the prior patent, although relatively simple,

,make possible a function which was not possible with the old construction and provide a machine which produces butter pats consisting of paper trays having butter slices thereon and with wax paper squares or rectangles covering the butter and protecting it from contamination.

In addition to protecting the butter from contamination it will be obvious that any butter pat which has been served but not used remains covered and may be served to another.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that I wish to be limited not by the foregoing description, but solely by the claims granted to me.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for dispensing slices of material cut from a block upon formed paper trays of the type in which a block of material is fed through a hopper in predetermined steps of movement, sliced, and the slices deposited individually upon portions of paper fed from a paper supply and cut to predetermined length and wherein the paper is thereafter forced through a die to form a tray, the improvement which comprises, providing a source of sheet material for covering the slices, feeding said covering material jointly with said tray forming paper to thereby form trays of paper and covering material with the covering material tray within the paper tray and discharging said trays through a chute having cross-sectional dimensions at the point of entry substantially equal to the tray dimensions, said chute Walls diverging from the point of entry to the point of discharge whereby said covering sheet tray resumes its sheet form and each covering sheet tray serves to cover the slice of material on a paper tray formed by the preceding cycle of operation of the dispensing machine.

2. In a machine for dispensing slices of material cut from a block thereof upon formed paper trays, each said slice being covered by a protective sheet, in combination, means for guiding a block of material for movement substantially longitudinally thereof, means for cutting slices of predetermined thickness from the end of said block, means for feeding a strip of paper into position to have a slice of material cut from said block deposited thereon, said means simultaneously feeding a strip of protective sheet material to position immediately adjacent said tray material on the side opposite said slice, means for simultaneously cutting a portion from each of said strips to provide a rectangular portion, means for simultaneously forming said rectangular strip portions into a tray formation with said paper tray within said protective sheet tray, a discharge chute, said lchute comprising a frustum of a pyramid, having cross-sectional dimensions at the entering end substantially those of a formed tray and means including said forming means for causing trays with slices of material thereon to successively enter said chute whereby each said tray of protective material u adheres to the slice on the preceding paper tray, said protective material having lesser properties of form retention than said paper material whereby as a succession of trays moves through said pyramidal ldischarge chute, said protective material resumes its sheet form and covers the dispensed slice on a preceding paper tray.

3. In a machine for dispensing slices of butter cut from a butter block upon formed paper trays of the type in which a block of butter is fed through a tubular hopper in predetermined steps of movement, slices deposited individually upon portions of paper fed from a paper supply and cut to a predetermined length and wherein the paper is thereafter forced through a die to form a tray, the improvement which comprises, providing a source of wax paper for covering the butter slices, feeding said wax paper jointly with said tray forming paper to thereby form trays of tray paper and wax paper with the wax paper tray within the paper tray and discharging said trays through a chute having cross-sectional dimensions at the point of entry substantially equal to the paper tray dimensions, said chute walls diverging from the point of entry to the point of discharge whereby said wax paper resumes its sheet form and serves to cover the slice of butter on a paper tray formed during the preceding tray forming operation.

4. In a machine for dispensing slices of butter cut from a block upon formed paper trays, each said butter slice being covered by a sheet of wax paper, in combination, means for guiding a block of butter for movement substantially longitudinally thereof, means for cutting slices of predetermined thickness from one end of said butter block, means for feeding a strip of paper into position to have a butter slice deposited on the end portion thereof, said hneans simultaenously feeding a strip of wax paper to a position adjacent said paper on the side opposite said slice, means for simultaneously cutting end portions from said strips of tray paper and wax paper to provide rectangular detached portions, means for simultaneously forming said rectangular portions into a tray formation with said wax paper tray outside said paper tray, a discharge chute, said chute comprising a frustum of a pyramid having cross-sectional dimensions at the entering end substantially those of a formed tray and means including said forming means for causing trays with slices of butter thereon to successively enter said chute whereby each said tray of Wax paper adheres to the butter slice on the preceding paper tray, said wax paper having lesser properties of form retention than said paper tray whereby as a succession of trays moves through said pyramidal discharge chute, said wax paper resumes its sheet form and covers the dispensed butter slice on a preceding paper tray.

5. A dispensing device for delivering slices of butter onto paper plates and covering the slice with a protective sheet of wax paper or the like which comprises a hopper for a butter block, a reciprocatory carriage carrying a cutting blade, plate paper and protective Wax paper feeding means mounted on said carriage, paper cutting and shaping means operatively associating with said carriage, means for predetermining the advance of a block of butter relative to said hopper and into the path of said cutter blade, said reciprocating carriage being operable across the path of a block of butter fed from said hopper, said carriage being linked to said blade and to said predotermining means and means comprising a discharge chute having diverging walls for retaining a plurality of formed butter pats with the wax paper formed during one machine cycle adhered to the butter slice on a butter plate formed during the preceding cycle, said diverging walls permitting said wax paper to return to sheet form while said paper trays frictionally engage said diverging walls.

6. A dispensing device for delivering slices of butter onto paper plates and covering the slice with a protective sheet of wax paper or the like which comprises a hopper tor a butter block, a re'oiprocatory carriage carrying a cutting blade, plate paper and protective wax paper feeding means mounted on said carriage, paper cutting and shaping means operatively associating with said carriage, means for predetermining the advance of a block of butter relative to said hopper and into the path of said cutter blade, said reciprocating carriage being operable across the path of a block of butter fed from said hopper, said carriage being linked to said blade and to said pre determining means, means ope-natively associated with said carriage for forming said plate paper and Wax paper into trays, and means comprising a discharge chute having diverging walls for receiving trays from said forming means, and retaining a plurality of {formed butter pats with the wax paper formed during one machine cycle adhered to the butter slice on a butter plate formed during the preceding cycle, said diverging Walls permitting said wax paper to return to sheet form while said paper tnays frictionally engage said diverging walls.

7. A dispensing device in accordance claim 6 wherein said predetermining means comprises a pair of reciprocating spears extending from opposite sides into the path of a block of butter, means linked to said carriage for causing one of said spears to move along the path of advance of said butter through said hopper, means for adjusting said hopper relative to said paper, and means fixed relative to said hopper to control the movement :of said one of said spears along the butter advancing path.

8. A dispensing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said discharge chute has a height sufficient to assure retention of sufiicient butter trays to permit return of said wax paper trays to substantially flat sheet form prior to discharge of said paper trays from said discharge chute.

9. A dispensing device for delivering slices of butter onto paper plates and covering the slice with a protective sheet of wax paper or the like which comprises a hopper for a butter block, a reciprocatory carriage carrying a cutting blade, plate paper and protective wax paper feeding means mounted on said carriage, paper cutting and shapeing means operatively associated with said carriage, means for predetermining the advance of a block of butter relative to said hopper and into the path of said cutter blade, said reciprocating carriage being operable across the path of a block of butter fed from said hopper, said carriage being linked to said blade and to said predetermining means, means operatively associated with said carriage for forming said plate paper and wax paper into trays, means comprising a discharge chute having diverging walls for receiving trays from said forming means and retaining a plurality of formed butter pats with the wax paper formed during one machine cycle adhered to the butter slice on a butter plate formed during the preceding cycle, said diverging wall-s permitting said wax paper to return to sheet form while said paper trays frictionally engage said diverging walls, and drive means for said receprocating carriage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR DISPENSING SLICES OF MATERIAL CUT FROM A BLOCK UPON FORMED PAPER TRAYS OF THE TYPE IN WHICH A BLOCK OF MATERIAL IS FED THROUGH A HOPPER IN PREDETERMINED STEPS OF MOVEMENT, SLICED, AND THE SLICES DEPOSITED INDIVIDUALLY UPON PORTIONS OF PAPER FED FROM A PAPER SUPPLY AND CUT TO PREDETERMINED LENGTH AND WHEREIN THE PAPER IS THEREAFTER FORCED THROUGH A DIE TO FORM A TRAY, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES, PROVIDING A SOURCE OF SHEET MATERIAL FOR COVERING THE SLICES, FEEDING SAID COVERING MATERIAL JOINTLY WITH SAID TRAY FORMING PAPER TO THEREBY FORM TRAYS OF PAPER AND COVERING MATERIAL WITH THE COVERING MATERIAL TRAY WITHIN THE PAPER TRAY AND DISCHARGING SAID TRAYS THROUGH A CHUTE HAVING CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSIONS AT THE POINT OF ENTRY SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE TRAY DIMENSIONS, SAID CHUTE WALLS DIVERGING FROM THE POINT OF ENTRY TO THE POINT OF DISCHARGE WHEREBY SAID COVERING SHEET TRAY RESUMES ITS SHEET FORM AND EACH COVERING SHEET TRAY SERVES TO COVER THE SLICE OF MATERIAL ON A PAPER TRAY FORMED BY THE PRECEDING CYCLE OF OPERATION OF THE DISPENSING MACHINE. 